Sharks vs. Canucks Game 2 Pick

Last season, the Vancouver Canucks lost their first two games at home against the Los Angeles Kings before ultimately getting knocked out of the playoffs. Now, they’re threatening to fall behind 0-2 at home once again this season against the San Jose Sharks. Game 2 will take place on Friday night at 10:00 p.m. ET, and NHL betting fans will love to sink their teeth into all of the action.

The Sharks have to be happy with the way this week has gone regardless of whether they ultimately win this game or not. They showed that they are ready to play in the playoffs, and they have a rock solid 3-1 win under their belts already. Some of the key players in the lineup are ready to go, and they have already gotten out of the blocks with guns blazing. Perhaps the biggest key is that G Antti Niemi is playing well. He did allow one goal in the game, but there is no shame in stopping 27-of-28 shots with a win to show for it. D Dan Boyle had a disappointing regular season, but all will be forgotten if he can continue to play well here in the playoffs. He had a goal and an assist to pace the club, but he wasn’t the only man with two points on the night. C Logan Couture scored on the power play late in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit, and he assisted on the goal that put the game away in the middle of the third. C Joe Pavelski had a pair of assists, and he largely looked like one of the best players on the ice the whole time.

The Canucks have to answer some very important questions going into Game 2 of this series, not the least of which is who the starting goaltender is going to be for the game. G Cory Schneider has an undisclosed injury that is remaining a huge mystery, and it is anyone’s guess as to whether he will ultimately be the net minder for Game 2 or not. If he isn’t, G Roberto Luongo would be forced back into action once again, and that has to really be a killer to Canucks fans. Luongo has struggled in the postseason throughout his entire career, and last season, he was essentially run out of the pipes and replaced by Schneider. The offense isn’t helping matters out any either. D Kevin Bieksa scored in the second period of Game 1, but the rest of the team was rather MIA. Where are the Sedin brothers? Where is C Ryan Kesler? These three men, who are the cornerstones of the franchise, only managed a total of six shots on goal between them on Wednesday night.

We just have to keep going with the Sharks in this series. Of course, San Jose isn’t going to bust out the brooms in this one, and it might not even ultimately win the series either. However, these prices in these first two games here at Rogers Arena have been outrageous. The Sharks very well could be the better of these two teams, and they have to have the greater confidence level right now for sure.

Adam Markowitz

is a staff writer living in the Orlando area. He has covered NFL, MLB, college football, CFL, AFL, NBA, college basketball, NASCAR, golf, tennis, and the NHL for a number of various outlets in his career, and he has been published by a number of different media outlets, including the Orlando Sentinel and the Wall Street Journal.